How Connected Health Tech will Move Us from Monitoring Sleep to Improving Sleep

Though it may sound backward, sleep is both one of our most dormant and most active states – it’s when our brain optimizes connections, regenerates and stores memories. And sleep is something we all have in common – everybody sleeps – but what the vast majority of us also have in common is that many of us are living with a sleep problem in some form.

The CDC has identified insufficient sleep as a public health problem. According to its estimates, 40% of people ages 25-54 get less than the recommended 7 hours of sleep at night1. Beyond the adverse effects that lack of sleep can have on concentration, memory and focus, sleep deprivation can have far-reaching consequences.

Taking Ownership of Our Health

As a society, people are generally becoming more involved in their own health, sleep included. Over the past few years, seeing a wearable device around someone’s wrist capable of tracking his or her health data has gone from a novel sight to something ordinary. But to-date the focus of these wearables has been on just monitoring and providing information, with little actual guidance – which is perhaps the reason why current research shows that up to a third of fitness trackers are abandoned after just six months. When it comes to sleep in particular, if health tech is not delivering value or directing the people using it toward improved sleep, we’ll continue to see consumers toss them aside.

Connected Health Tech That Drives Meaningful Change

Connected health technologies will be a catalyst that we hope helps solve today’s sleep debt issue, so long as they evolve from simply monitoring sleep to improving it. Philips’ growing ecosystem of sleep solutions leverages our nearly 35 years of deep clinical expertise in sleep. Philips sleep technologies target improving sleep in a variety of ways:

SmartSleep – SmartSleep is the first sleep technology clinically proven to enhance deep (or slow wave) sleep in those who do not get enough sleep due to lifestyle. Deep sleep is the most restorative sleep stage. SmartSleep boosts slow wave brain activity leading to increased energy and alertness during the day. Smart Sleep is not intended for those with sleep disorders, for people over 40 or for those with hearing loss.

SleepMapper – SleepMapper, the web and mobile platform behind Philips sleep tech, monitors every detail of a person’s CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) therapy and allows them to take a more active role in treating their sleep apnea.

Somneo – Somneo wake-up lights improve general well-being after waking up, stimulating the body with natural lighting to give people a more refreshing morning and improving their mood.

Whether someone has a diagnosed sleep disorder or their workaholic lifestyle limits the number of hours of quality sleep they can get per night, nearly everyone stands to gain something from actively improving their sleep. Living with sleeping difficulties means you’re not operating at your best – at work, at home, anywhere. Philips is guided by the understanding that restful nights lead to energetic days – and we’re designing a future where technology leveraged across the entire sleep ecosystem can make this a reality for the millions that can benefit from improved sleep.

Philips is showing these sleep technologies and many more at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, NV from January 9-12. Stop by our booth (#44019) to see the latest in sleep innovation and learn how we’re always working to make life better.

About Innovation Matters

Innovation Matters delivers news, opinions and features about healthcare, and is focused on the professionals who work within the industry, as well as Philips as a cutting-edge health technology organization. From interviews with industry giants to how-to guides and features powered by Philips data, our goal is to deliver interesting, educational and entertaining content to empower and inspire all those who work in healthcare or related industries.

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Author

David P. White, MD

Chief Medical Officer

Dr. David White, Chief Medical Officer with Philips Sleep & Respiratory Care, serves as a Professor of Medicine at the Harvard Medical School and President of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. His principle research interest has been the pathophysiology of disorders of breathing during sleep about which he has published over 200 original papers.